Empyrean
by fuzzyltlwingedthing
Summary: A look at SM's world of vampires from Edward's guardian angel's POV. Started as a study in why Edward hates himself and why is he so smitten with Bella. Inspired by Edward's guardian angel in Midnight Sun. "I had no angel. They were reserved for the good..."
1. Preface & Intro

**Preface**

_~oOo~_

___em·py·re·an (ĕm'pī-rē'ən):The highest reaches of heaven, believed by the ancients to be a realm of pure fire or light; the sky._

_"For one moment, the hag-faced fate I'd imagined, the one who sought Bella's destruction, was replaced by the most foolish and reckless of angels. A guardian angel—something Carlisle's version of me might have had."_ Edward, Midnight Sun manuscript, Page 217

~oOo~

We stared across the room at the couple to be. Certainly there had never before been a pair like this.

The boy sneered, decades of denial acted as his armor. It was a warning but something warm sparked behind his darkened eyes.

The girl looked on; unaware of the danger as she gazed upon him. Shock registered in her eyes at his beauty, and her heart immediately began pleading to know him.

A seraph faced angel looked on, her plan perfected. The boy did not know that the hag-faced enemy he had imagined was his greatest ally. The angel gave him a heedless smile, her sky colored eyes full of mischief. She had formed the girl in such a way that there was no way that he could possibly deny her pull. She would entangle him so fully that, once they met, he would not survive long without her.

Laughing with pure elation, the angel gently propelled the powerful girl directly into his path – her scent sending a fistful of burning flames down his throat.

Only his innate morality would save her fragile body now.

The seraph laughed... her job was almost complete.

~oOo~

**Alone by Edgar Allen Poe (paragraphing changed)**

From childhood's hour I have not been as others were;

I have not seen as others saw;

I could not bring my passions from a common spring.

From the same source I have not taken my sorrow;

I could not awaken my heart to joy at the same tone;

And all I loved, I loved alone.

Then- in my childhood, in the dawn of a most stormy life- was drawn from every depth of good and ill the mystery which binds me still:

From the sun that round me rolled in its autumn tint of gold,

From the lightning in the sky as it passed me flying by,

From the thunder and the storm,

And the cloud that took the form (when the rest of Heaven was blue) of a demon in my view.

**Note:**

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. One day, very early in my Twilight experience, I was reading Midnight Sun and came upon SM's reference to Edward's guardian angel (see page 217 of the Midnight Sun Manuscript available on SM's website). I had an epiphany. If this angel existed, she would have an interesting story to tell and from a much different perspective than any of Edward's peers. I set out to write her story, but not a story _about_ her or her angelic peers... I wanted her insight into Edward and Bella's fairytale.

I hope you enjoy her insight as much as I have enjoyed dragging it out of her.

I have to thank both my mother for pushing me (ever so gently) to write this story and to speculate endlessly on things Edward might have done in his youth, but I also have to give a HUGE thanks to my Beta, TwiliteAddict. Her stories are amazing and I am forever grateful she took me under he wing and spent so much time polishing this up when she has such a busy life. THANK YOU!

SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't read Midnight Sun, be warned; I quote and refer to it in this story.

Of course none of this could be possible without Stephenie Meyer. Her characters are her own and nothing but her generosity makes twi-fic possible. Take this as a disclaimer for the entire story. It will not be repeated.


	2. 1-Assignment

**Assignment**

_as·sign·ment (əs-īn'mənt): A position or post of duty to which one is assigned._

_"... if you don't believe that all this world could have just happened on its own, which is hard for me to accept myself, is it so hard to believe that the same force that created the delicate angelfish with the shark, the baby seal and the killer whale, could create both our kinds together?" Edward, Twilight_

**A Long Time Ago...**

Change.

As I sat at my desk, I knew it was coming. I couldn't guess exactly when it would come or by what means, but it was here. Anticipation of a new chapter in my life filled me with warmth; as when the sun colors the sky purple then pink then orange before it actually breaks above the horizon at daybreak.

I stared back at the screen on my desk. The numbers and letters were screaming by so fast even most of my kind weren't equipped to process it. I tapped on the control in front of me adding to the stream as I saw fit. While I worked I ruminated on what we had accomplished in this assignment and anticipated what was to come.

For the past 100 or so years I've held this very satisfying assignment as a data collector. It's an important job as we were the ones who watched over every soul dwelling on Terra, dutifully recording every thought and action. The data collected was an invaluable learning tool for library patrons in addition to a crucial part of a life review for souls returning from a corporeal assignment as all souls assigned to a body experienced loss of memory of existence in this realm which would not return until we reached the Ultimate Goal.

All of the inhabitants here came from the same place, but we all have different assignments which generally fell into two categories; those who stayed "in the know" and those who forgot. There were advantages to both assignments. Those who stayed informed as angels were there to support those who forgot. Those souls who were assigned corporeal bodies forgot, but were able to move on to the next phase. At some point I might be assigned to forget and move on, but right now I wasn't quite ready for that big of a change... of that I was certain.

The data collection portion of my current assignment was housed in a vast complex which consisted of the data and media center and the library. Other locations in this realm were dedicated to preparing those receiving a corporeal assignment and still others to helping returning souls transition from their assignment to the next phase.

My mind flipped through the possibilities for my future. We all supported the same goal – to protect and support souls, whether it was prior to their departure, in their corporeal assignments or upon their return. I would be happy to take any assignment as all of them were critical, whether it was working in the library, maintaining the grounds, teaching, making clothes or guarding those currently in a body. We used what powers we possessed to make sure everything ran smoothly – which was no small task.

I thought of jobs I had already held and wondered if I'd be reassigned to any of them. It had been a long time since I'd done grounds maintenance. My hands longed to dig through the living dirt, to feel the spirit of the flowers and listen to the melody they produced stemming from the love they felt. The harmony of the trees, grass and water was simply... heavenly.

Change.

I snapped out of my reverie as I felt the internal glow brightening. I quickly reached for the control and slowed the pace of the information flowing by. My mind had room to think of my current assignment and the one to come, but I did it in preparation to finding an appropriate breaking point – as I could sense my replacement would arrive soon. I had felt this change coming and I already prepared a guide to help my replacement fit into this role.

I looked back at the screen which reminded me it was currently the latter part of the 19th century on Terra. It would still be a long time before they had anything close to this computer. Many of my co-workers who were technologically savvy were finally being assigned to Terra to start the transition to a new age. It wouldn't be long before knowledge would be of utmost importance and the number one commodity. Commoditizing knowledge was one of the first steps toward the Ultimate Goal. I smiled to think how close we were to finally reaching our goal.

I contemplated again over my current assignment. I had worked hand-in-hand with a passionate team creating this particular storage system that would help usher in the important new era. I was very good at my current assignment. I was proud of what we had accomplished so far.

Pride.

As soon as the word crossed my mind I realized the sun had finally broken over the horizon and a new assignment was imminent. We kept our job until there was nothing more to learn or gain from it and were then given new assignments by Iam. The pride signaled I was at the end of my learning curve.

In the next moment I felt a hand rest on my shoulder. I turned and met the smile of a beautiful seraph. Her long blonde hair glowed as it caught the light of the rising sun from the far window and truly made her look as if she was wearing a halo. The sky blue of her eyes was sharp with understanding. Love flowed from Nettie as I smiled back at her.

"It's time," she said with a warm smile on her face.

This assignment was over.

Nettie signaled to my replacement to take my place as I stood and handed the assignment tablet to her. I looked around the room lit only by a dim ambient light and the uncovered window. I would miss it, but I also looked forward to the new opportunity I hoped Nettie and I were about to share. We walked side by side through the polished steel door. As we emerged from the darkened room and into the brilliant light of the new day, I was momentarily overcome by the warmth of the dual suns around which our world circled.

We started on the pale gray stone path whose polished surface glittered in the sunlight, and traveled through the gardens that flowed between each building. The crisp grass that spread from each side came to its inevitable end against the edge of a wall in the distance.

"We're going together?" I asked.

Nettie and I worked well together. We had previously been on assignment together in the library and I hoped to work with her again.

"Yes, there is a particularly troubled soul who will need our help during his 'time abroad' on Terra. His heart has an extraordinarily large capacity for love, but he cannot see that he's worthy of it. His assignment might take extra time, but the goal of our journey will be to teach him to find and embrace this capacity for love.

We looked at the green garden - punctuated regularly with flowers of purple, pink and red which hummed with life and swayed slightly to the music created by each individual cell's pleasure to exist. Artfully manicured shrubs lined the exterior perimeter of the complex with the edge of the clear blue sky leaning toward yellow as it reached the horizon. It would be quite some time before we would again see gardens this beautiful and we paused to record it in our memory to replay during our time away.

We continued toward a large white building whose silhouette reached across the garden, its shape came to realization via the mind of a master and could be no other form. Its white granite-clad exterior shone in the sunlight. It was hard to tell if the garden shaped the building or if the building shaped the garden. They both existed for each other. As we reached the far side, I looked upon the intricately carved wooden door of the building, weathered by the centuries to a smooth silvery finish.

My next assignment _shouldn't_ be longer than the lifespan of a human, but as Nettie had said this person would need "extra time", I had the feeling I wouldn't see that door again for much longer. Will we be assigned to a Special Case? A feeling of dread gripped me – those almost never ended well. For a split second I almost felt fear, but as the door slid open silently, the pessimistic feelings were replaced by peace flowing over us, and it beckoned us to cross the threshold.

It was an expansive room and although one could not see the ceiling or the far walls, a matched wooden exit door was visible not far from the door from which we entered. Pink gossamer draped around us and white lights pulsed somewhere in the distance. Peace radiated from the core of the room through everything surrounding it.

This peace was why the flowers sung and the buildings stood.

The first eyes I met held a cherubic gleam, not of surprise or curiosity, but of anticipation. They were expecting us. Nettie had already received her assignment so she continued to the side of the room nearest the exit.

As I approached the center of the room, the throbbing light paused and a gentle foggy mist surrounded me. My feet felt the familiar softness of the soft white floor covering and I carefully folded myself into a lotus position. I closed my eyes, relaxed and waited.

I was not aware of time passing. It could've been a minute or an hour, but I suddenly realized I was not alone. I could feel the love radiating from Iam. He waited patiently while I sat basking in the completeness of the feeling. When I was satiated I opened my eyes and gazed into his.

"It is time for a change," he stated.

"Yes, I have seen the change coming."

"I have something unusual in mind for you. The intricacy of this assignment will make it interesting, but it is also why you're pairing with Nettie."

I nodded, "Nettie and I have worked well together in the past."

"It will not be easy. This mating is very special. They were created in the beginning to help us with the Ultimate Goal, but the man is stubborn and his life will take an unexpected, but requisite, turn which will affect them both. It will help you with a lesson you need to learn as well so that maybe one day you may take on a corporeal assignment.

"Your only goal will be to make sure he knows love before he returns to us. Of course his stubbornness and the unexpected turn will make it a little more difficult, but I know you can do it."

"Will this be a Special Case?"

"Yes, it will." He noticed his pronouncement made me vibrate nervously, "but I know you can handle it. Nettie has been working on this for some time and will help familiarize you with the project."

He patiently waited until I returned to my relaxed state where I could fully experience the love of being in his presence. When I was ready I rose and simply stated, "Thank you."

"His time is approaching. Please accompany him and make his journey safe. This is important for everyone. We are counting on you and Nettie." He smiled, "You are very special to me. I know you can do this."

I closed my eyes and, in reverence, bowed to him slightly. I could feel the mist rise and his presence retreat. I mentally grasped at his feeling of confidence in my abilities so I could recall it later when it would surely be needed again. I rose slowly and joined Nettie on the far side of the room.

She smiled and hugged me, "We're going to have so much fun together!" Her excitement was as contagious as the laughter of children and I couldn't help but catch her enthusiasm. I hugged her back.

We left the room through the wooden exit door and into a shiny white hallway which snaked for miles through the complex. I turned to Nettie and asked about the soul we were guarding.

"Oh, I'm very excited. This assignment has the potential to be either transformative or devastating. If we can pull it off, it will be more than simply rewarding – it will help to usher in a new era!

"His name is Edward," she continued. "Although he and his mate were created as a pair, their emotional imbalance would make them almost incompatible once they reach Terra. The only way he can be prepared for her is if he goes ahead alone to begin his journey. It will take some extra time for him to learn what he needs before she can join him which, in part, necessitates the Special Case. It is rare to find a soul mating strong enough to survive being parted for such a long time. It will make his journey extremely difficult. He will feel alone and abandoned yet not understand why."

The more Nettie spoke of our assignment, the more excited she became.

"His mate is the most extraordinary soul I've seen in quite some time. She realizes the complexity of this journey and anxiously desires for him to reach his full potential even if it means an extended separation. She will make an astonishingly strong and beautiful Special Case. We will be lucky to see this transformation first hand!"

As we walked towards our destination, I pondered the new assignment. I was honestly excited to be assigned as a guardian angel again and Edward and his mate sounded like an extraordinary pair.

This was not my first time traveling to Terra, but I hadn't been there for over 300 years. It was a place of extremes – possessing both tremendous beauty and soul-searing pain. I was not looking forward to the pain we would witness, but it was a good reminder of what we were all working towards.

My last assignment there had been in Mongolia. This time I was looking forward to seeing the New World. I was also looking forward to modern medicine whose arrival there was imminent. Mongolia in the 1500's was no place to birth a child or catch pneumonia! My assignment had been important but brief; much, _much_ briefer than this would surely be.

This assignment was going to be exceptional even without the Special Case. Although pre-designed mates were not unheard of, they were also not common. A fair (albeit completely inadequate) human comparison would be identical twins. Although for angels, time was almost irrelevant, souls waiting to join their body could be quite anxious as the tie between body and soul grew closer. Souls waiting to join their mates were doubly anxious and having to wait more than a lifetime before joining would be excruciating for both parties.

We walked in silence as we pondered our assignment. Nettie was patient as she waited for me to grasp the situation. After a time I was finally ready to learn more.

"When is he to depart?"

"His parents are already together on Terra and his conception is approaching rapidly. We are going to meet him now to see when he wants to join them."

As I approached the glass door at the end of the hall I saw thousands of souls awaiting their departure. The large room was filled with angels standing around a swirling vortex frothing with love and light.

Nettie spotted them and pulled me toward the edge of the room. As I approached I saw two souls so close together they appeared to be one being. The translucent apparitions were gazing into each other as if they were two lovers being banished separately to far away lands, as in fact, they would be. The feelings emanating from them went beyond love. They were not just lovers... these two were created together as two parts of one whole.

The way they moved reflected this design. Their movements were in perfect harmony. As one moved, the other finished the movement with a duplicate or complementary movement that made one action incomplete without the other. As one took a step, the other was drawn as if pulled by wires. Their movements looked like a beautifully choreographed dance.

Although their forms and movements were almost as one, the aura they each radiated was distinctly different yet complimentary. One was a bright red and the other a beautiful blue, however at certain points their auras intermingled with each other making an interesting and ever changing pattern.

It wasn't often pairs like this were broken apart for such an extended journey. Their poetic movements only underscored how closely these two were bonded, yet their devotion to growing and moving beyond this state was inspirational. Each step in their journey would only serve to make their union more complete and satisfying. It would make them extremely rare and powerful once they found each other. They would be stronger together then they could ever be apart.

As we approached we could hear them speak. She lifted her hand and his followed, "The anxiety we'll feel when we're apart will only help us to grow, but it is necessary and I will join you when you're ready." They had both heard it before, but they needed the last minute affirmation.

He gazed into her and finished, "I'm willing to go to complete our mating, but I am sorry this is necessary because of my inadequacy."

"We are all inadequate until we finish our assignment. Don't worry; when I find you and join you it will make all the pain worthwhile." She smiled and nodded in our direction. "Your companions are here. It's time to go."

Now that we were next to him, I could feel the warmth of his spirit surround me and I became familiar to the feeling. During his time possessing a body, I would be inexorably linked to him and I needed to get to know that feeling. It was good. He was intelligent and inquisitive. He had a youthful, lively mind but could also be edgy and cunning. This was certainly going to be interesting!

Nettie greeted Isabella's guardian who was standing next to the pair "Eavan!" her smile was contagious. Eavan was especially necessary as Isabella waited here for her time on Terra who would need help during the pain of separation.

Eavan smiled back, "The last piece is now in place," as she nodded towards me. "Let us begin final preparations."

Once placed in a body most souls did not require full time guardians. Assignments sometimes came mid-life or some were even called in temporarily for an especially trying experience, so our assignment to these two souls was an exception.

Edward's soul turned to me and took my hand in his, "I must really be in for it if I need you both here with me. I had no idea I rated so highly," his countenance flashed in anticipation.

"Your self-doubt is why we're traveling this path together," I said as I smiled at him absorbing both his anticipation and trepidation.

"Hmm," he mused.

Nettie took his hand and stared deeply into his eyes, "You don't see yourself very clearly. Don't worry, you will learn. You cannot fully know love until you find yourself worthy of love. Love is a part of creativity and creating is what we're about. You will learn much more about the world and about human nature than most. You will learn to develop your imagination. You will learn to love."

Eavan's protective stance over Isabella was obvious. She smiled and nodded at me then bowed as she took Isabella by both hands and separated from our group. As Edward and Isabella's souls separated, their auras swirled as if confused where to go. It was apparent they were not used to being apart. As the distance grew, Edward's red and Isabella's blue aura settled into place, but reached for each other like the abstract hands of God and Adam stretching across the Sistine chapel, just shy of touching.

Edward turned to look at us, "Nettie you look anxious. We've been planning for a long time and it's not as if I'm the first Special Case."

"No, of course there have been Special Cases for as long as we have graced Terra." Nettie conceded.

"Then why do you look at me with such concern?"

"This is a very special time. Things are changing at a rapidly increasing rate down there. About the same time as you arrive, the perception of Special Cases will begin to change. We are all on the cusp of a new age. We are ever closer to our Ultimate Goal. You will help usher in a crucial step towards that goal. I look at you so because I am simply awed that we are all a part of this." Nettie smiled as she took one of his hands in her right hand and one of mine in her left. I reached out to him to complete the circle.

Edward looked over my shoulder to see Isabella leaning over closely to Eavan, deep in discussion. "I am grateful to be going first so she won't be alone in the world for long without me, but I'm still concerned we will not recognize each other."

"Please don't worry, Edward. It's our job to make sure you make it back to each other." Nettie looked him in the face and smiled.

"But will I feel her when she's near? Will she recognize me when I look at her? Will I know what she's thinking as I do now?" his eyes never strayed from her back.

"We've been through this before. Your souls will recognize each other, but your bodies will not. We will be able to whisper to your soul to help you along. This is how it's been done throughout the ages. You are in good hands."

For an instant, his diaphanous face flashed and I suddenly realized his human eyes would be green as they came into focus for the first time, level with Nettie's gaze. "I will wait for however long it takes, but I want to give a piece of myself to her to be sure we are drawn to each other."

"Edward, no. That is not a good idea. Although it has been done before, in your situation it might be very dangerous. When you meet her she will be a fragile human and there is no telling how strong the attraction will be or how it will physically manifest itself. You are already mated and will feel the bond. If you leave a piece of your soul with her now, it will only make your journey without her more difficult!"

"I can resist anything to insure I'll be with her again. If I give a piece of myself to her there will be no way I can ignore her. When I'm there I will search forever until I find her."

"You do realize you'll be alone much longer than most due to your special assignment."

"Yes, of course, Nettie."

"And you know the pain of separation will only grow in intensity over time."

"I do."

"I want to again emphasize that an attraction of that magnitude might not be in _her_ best interest as she will still be so fragile. You should allow us to let this progress slowly and naturally. Think about the jeopardy you would be putting her in. Your mission is far too important to take that risk. Naturally you have your free will, but please trust us to help you through this." Nettie pleaded with him to allow us this trust, but he was much to head-strong to let this go.

He held onto her sky-blue eyes with his gaze with the beginnings of a scowl on his face, "I trust you, Nettie. We have been preparing for this for a very long time. Now you have to trust me."

At that moment, Isabella and Eavan broke from their discussion and returned to bid our farewell.

Eavan smiled at me and turned to my companion, "Nettie, it will be so good to see you again on the other side. I have thoroughly enjoyed our preparations together. See you soon!"

Nettie and I took turns embracing Eavan and Isabella.

The paired souls grasped each other and again melted into one another. They did not speak aloud, but the emotions pouring off of them spoke volumes and it was again hard to visually separate the ethereal figures beyond their colorful auras. As they began to part, Edward reached into himself. A pained look crossed his face and he then pressed his hand into Isabella.

Her eyes flashed temporarily into focus, slightly pained as she looked as his hand embedded into her chest. She recognized what he was doing and looked longingly up into his eyes. "Don't you trust me to find you?"

He grimaced, "I don't trust myself. I want to be absolutely certain I will recognize you. With a piece of me in you, I will not fail to recognize you."

Isabella's form shimmered in anticipation.

Edward's gaze was only for Isabella, "Do you trust me?" and he lifted his hand to her face.

She gasped as his hand parted from her. Her hand lifted with his and she embraced his sacrificed piece into her soul. "Irrevocably." Their eyes shut simultaneously as they became acclimated to their new weight and they sighed as one.

At that moment we heard his name as it rumbled from the exquisite vortex.

"Edward Masen."

Nettie bowed her head and said, "Are you ready?"

The pair stepped away from each other. Their auras again danced, but this time tiny spots of red remained in Isabella's aura. Eavan took Isabella by the hand and Nettie took Edward's. He turned to look at Isabella to drink her in one more time. Nettie smiled and Edward's response was immediate, his eyes full of expectation.

I looked into his eyes. His features continued to sharpen as the tie between his body and spirit grew stronger. "Are you ready now or do you want to wait a little longer? It's up to you."

"I'm ready, but can we take it slowly?"

"Of course," I answered. "We'll follow your lead."

The three of us held hands and approached the vortex. Thousands of spirits were also approaching the vortex beginning their descent to earthy existences. To the untrained eye it might appear to be chaos but as we circled, the vortex turned everything into beautifully patterned order.

As we reached the center, we grasped each other a bit tighter. We entered a whirlwind that was more powerful than time and space, yet gentle enough that it did not force our hands apart.

We traveled in the pure love of the vortex. I could not see Nettie or Edward, but I could feel them near me and our hands still grasped each other. We traveled in a prone position towards the blue globe. The speed of our advance was metered by Edward's will to approach his new assignment.

As we neared I could feel Edward pull us to slow down. Souls were usually so excited to begin there was not time to see the approach, but he took the time to watch where we were going. The globe got closer and we could see the green continents. We were headed toward North America near the Great Lakes.

Straight away, a moderately sized two story house was in front of us. "Masen" was stenciled on the mail box. We all entered the house and heard a piano playing. We were standing next to a beautiful bronze-haired woman with the same green eyes Edward was now wearing. It was his mother. She was playing Chopin's Nocturno, Opus No 2.

She had a soft smile on her face. We could not yet see her pregnancy showing. The timing of corporeal bonding was up to the soul, but as we stood there Edward's mother was almost a dozen weeks along.

Nettie turned to Edward, "She's ready, are you?"

We could feel some anxiety, but his excitement was overriding his fears, "Oh yes, she's so lovely!"

"Let us begin, then."

Nettie and I held his hands and he closed his eyes. After a time, he faded until he was gone. Although we could no longer see him, we could still feel his warm presence.

It had begun.


	3. 2-Arrival

**Arrival**

_ar·ri·val (ərī'vəl): The reaching of a goal or objective as a result of effort or a process._

_"Edward looks a great deal like [his mother]–she had that same strange bronze shade to her hair, and her eyes were exactly the same color green." Carlisle, New Moon_

_**Earth, 1900AD**_

Elizabeth Masen was standing apart from the group gathered in the large living room. She gazed intensely across the room - directly to where I was standing. For a brief minute I gaped, convinced she saw me, only to realize her eyes were tracking the flight of a bright red cardinal rising from the white, snow-covered ground outside of the house. She was looking _through_ me and out the window located directly behind where I was standing. Her eyes lifted as the bird rose into the gray winter sky.

There was warm banter from the crowd of friends and family who had gathered for the holiday floating around the soft fire-lit room, but the beautiful view of nature had briefly drawn her thoughts away from the chatter and towards the little miracle growing in her womb. She gently placed a hand on her unborn son.

"Elizabeth!" Ed called from across the room, "Come and let us tell everyone the good news!" He was standing in front of a beautifully decorated Christmas tree at his Cousin Betty's house.

Betty and her husband, Robert, were Ed's only family living in the area. They had two children, a 6 year old boy, Dean, and a 4 year old girl, Emma, who were currently running in riotous circles around the dining room table.

"Nettie, hurry... you'll miss it," I called.

She instantly appeared next to my side.

Elizabeth's eyes snapped from her reverie and she smiled lovingly into Ed's eyes. "Yes, of course darling!" She moved away from the window and into the waiting arms of her husband.

Elizabeth's face was strong with emotion. It was December 25, 1900. She had been married to the dashing lawyer Ed Masen for 26 months now. Due to the length of time from their marriage to conception, they thought they might not be blessed with a child. They didn't realize Nettie had just needed a bit more time to make sure everything was in order before the blessed event could occur.

Elizabeth was now 14 weeks along and was about to announce their good fortune to their friends and family.

A hush settled over the room as everyone sensed the anticipation of an important announcement.

Elizabeth's mother, Margaret, was there unaccompanied as her husband, Elizabeth's father, had passed three years ago in a factory accident. She saw the sparkle in her daughter's eye and immediately started sobbing, yet a smile showed through the handkerchief she held to her eyes.

Elizabeth was Margaret's only living child, the product of a traumatic child birth. They were both lucky to have lived through the experience. Elizabeth had often heard the story of the wonderful doctor who had saved her mother's life after her birth, and was always told how grateful she was to that man. Having a grandchild around, Elizabeth thought, would make her mother's life complete.

"Yes, mother, I think you've guessed our announcement. Ed and I are going to have a baby this summer, hopefully sometime in June."

Margaret jumped up and ran across the room, throwing her arms around her daughter and crying out in delight sobbed, "Oh, Elizabeth, this is such wonderful news!"

As others joined Elizabeth to congratulate her, Robert sat behind the piano and started playing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."

Betty gave Elizabeth a full body hug, "Congratulations! When can we start fixing up a nursery?"

"Oh my, I've been so nervous about this I haven't even begun to think about it. I have no idea what I'll need."

"Well, that's what friends and family are for. I have a bit of practice in that department." She looked over at Dean and Emma who were peeking under the lid of a cake plate. "Dean!" she playfully called to them and he and Emma immediately dropped the lid and giggled as they ran out of the room.

"Then you'll have to come over so we can start planning. It's exciting, but _so_ overwhelming!"

"Don't you worry; we'll get it all under control in no time!" Betty promised.

The happiness and the lights made the night glisten as Nettie and I silently watched the family celebrate the announcement of the new life we were committed to guard. Margaret was chattering a hundred words a minute to anyone who would listen. Ed stood to Elizabeth's side leaning on the mantel with a snifter of brandy. From where I stood, the fire reflected from the crystal glass onto his face creating a warm glow.

Nettie and I were happier than all of them combined.

~oOo~

It had been quite some time since my last visit to Earth, and I had forgotten how quickly time passed here. The days blurred into weeks and the weeks into months. We knew the early part of our assignment would be relatively easy and we needed to use this time to get to know the people and the area and start planning our research. Although Nettie's research in the library had been quite thorough, and it had been interesting to help her during our assignment together, it could not compare to actual field work.

Throughout our assignment, and particularly before Edward was changed, Nettie planned to spend a great deal of time talking to guardians of other Special Cases. She was particularly keen to keep track of the one called Carlisle who was destined to be Edward's next father. He was currently in Buffalo, but it seemed he might soon move to the Ohio region. We weren't too worried about his path at this point. He seemed to be moving closer, but we still had some time before he would come into our lives.

While Nettie did the research, I followed Elizabeth faithfully. Once I caught her when she slipped on an icy patch and another time I drew her attention away before she was able to step where a delivery truck came around the corner seemingly from nowhere. This child would be born... beautiful and whole.

Towards the end of her pregnancy Elizabeth looked like she would burst from the child within. Finally one balmy summer night the birthing pains began. The midwife arrived and six hours later a dark haired baby boy was born. It was June 20, 1901.

"I want to call him Edward," Elizabeth sighed over the newborn, his hair still wet from the post-partum bath, "but I'd like him to also bear my father's name."

"I would be proud to have a son bear my name and the name of your father." Ed beamed at his new family, "Edward Anthony Masen."

Once over the initial shock of birth, the baby quietly lay in Elizabeth's arms and gazed into her eyes. I got close behind her shoulder and looked into his new face. His eyes were still the generic grey blue color of a newborn. He looked over Elizabeth's shoulder and straight into my eyes.

"Hello, Edward." I smiled at him. His eyes briefly sparkled with recognition as he continued to gaze at me. Nettie joined me and together we basked in the glow of his spirit's newfound happiness at taking this next step. His eyes moved to Nettie.

"Oh," she sighed, "he feels almost the same, but there's something different... it's a bit warmer. It suits him."

His gaze broke away from her and he went back to bonding with Elizabeth. I sighed as well; it wouldn't be long before he could no longer see us. This was the beginning of a long journey, but bringing Edward and Isabella back together would be more rewarding than anything else I had ever done.

Nettie squeezed my shoulder and we hugged each other. We were one step closer to bringing a beautiful love story to life.

~oOo~

Little Edward was screaming... _again_. Ed had hired a nurse to come to the house for the first year of Edward's life, as was common for a well-to-do family of the time, but it was her day off. Edward was six months old and Elizabeth had put him down to cut vegetables for the evening meal.

She placed a blanket on the floor in the kitchen where she had hoped her proximity would ease his crying, but to no avail. She closed her eyes and sighed then put him in the high chair. He continued to wail as she resumed her duties in the kitchen.

"Nettie, maybe you should go and get Martha," I turned and nodded towards the neighbor's house.

"Good idea, we'll be right back."

Elizabeth covered her eyes with her hands and took a deep breath. She wasn't used to dealing with the crying all by herself.

"Edward, what is it you want?" she stood facing him and pleaded with him. Tears streamed down his face. It looked like she might be on the brink of tears as well.

Edward was an unusually fussy baby. He would not let anyone put him down without crying. I thought of Isabella and the piece of little Edward's soul that was still with her on the other side and wondered if the soul exchange contributed to his discomfort. If so, it would be a long, painful journey for Edward.

There was a knock at the door.

"Oh, thank you!" Elizabeth lifted her eyes and gave a little prayer of thanks. She picked Edward up from the chair and walked to the front door.

A widowed neighbor lived next door to the Masen's and with a little prodding from us she would occasionally show up to help on the nurse's day off.

"Martha! You must be a mind reader." Elizabeth smiled in relief as she opened the door and let her in.

"Elizabeth, you don't have to be a mind reader to hear that child scream. You'd think you were torturing him!" She smiled as she reached for him.

"So how are you getting along, Elizabeth?" Martha started the neighborly banter as she followed Elizabeth to the kitchen.

While they were occupied Nettie turned to me, "All of this crying. It's not common in babies is it? He must be feeling the loneliness of being way from Isabella already. I hope for Elizabeth's sake that he will soon find another outlet for the ache in his heart."

I nodded my head, "Crying is more common than you think, but Elizabeth is definitely showing signs of stress, and Edward is still only a few months old. I hope once he learns to walk and talk, his pain will manifest in a less annoying manner."

Nettie smiled hopefully as we watched the scene from the doorway of the kitchen.

"It's been a while since I've been out. I think it's time we get back to our research," she stated, looking with adoring eyes at the comforted baby snuggled in Martha's warm arms.

"Yes, things are stabilizing here and we need to find others in the area. It would also be a good idea to find a nearby guardian to discuss any known local hazards. Better to learn about them ahead of time," I added.

Nettie nodded in agreement, "We should also see if there are any other Special Cases nearby or if any frequent the region."

Neither Nettie nor I had previously been assigned a Special Case and we both wanted to observe one. Finding one in the area would make it easier to observe while still maintaining watch over Edward. If we could find one with a guardian it would make it especially nice to discuss their assignment.

"I would also like to track Carlisle's progress," Nettie added.

Carlisle was a very special part of the plan. While, over the centuries, some Special Cases had refrained from drinking human blood, he was one of the few who had _never_ killed a human and had done so for purely ethical reasons. Since he was beginning to consider creating a companion, timing was critical. Although Carlisle was beyond the need for a full-time guardian, we wanted to find him to gauge the progress of his desire to create a companion. Our whole plan pivoted on several timelines converging precisely.

"Nettie, why don't you go out this evening to talk to the new guardian who came to the area recently and I'll stay and watch over Edward?"

She nodded, "I was hoping you would say that. The sooner we start the more prepared we'll be."

We both felt the pull of a nearby guardian to the north so that evening she headed in that direction.

Just as she left, Edward whimpered a little in his sleep. I hummed a soothing lullaby. It started as the simple lullaby of a guardian but as I watched him I felt a bit of inspiration and modified the tune just a little. He settled back to sleep as I sat in a nearby rocking chair.

Luckily for Elizabeth, Edward slept better than one would suspect for a fussy child. I theorized that he dreamt of Isabella so the ache wasn't so great. From what I'd read about the spirit exchange, it manifested itself more as the human grew and became particularly painful during puberty, subsiding to a dull ache until the soul mate was found, where upon the ache completely disappeared.

A few hours later Nettie returned. She had found the guardian we had felt close by.

"Well, it seems we went looking just in time. The closest guardian is only a few blocks from here, but her assignment is almost over. The widow to whom she is assigned will probably not last through the month."

"Very good timing. What did you talk about?"

"Well, at first she was just excited to see a new face and we shared memories of home. She is looking forward to her next assignment in grounds keeping." Nettie started.

"I can only imagine," I sighed remembering the garden we had paused at just before I had received my new assignment.

Nettie continued with her story, "It seems that she was assigned to this woman when she was younger, but has returned to help her through the death transition."

"Has she been in the area long?" I inquired.

"The woman has lived here her entire life so the guardian knows a few things that might help. Generally this neighborhood is benign, but there is a violent man who lives about a mile away so we'll need to start keeping tabs on him to make sure he does not cross paths with Edward. I went past his house on the way home and I'll send you over there soon so you can see him."

"That sounds like a good idea."

"She mentioned that the local grocer is having an affair with another very married local woman. It's possible this might come up because it's the store that Elizabeth frequents and the grocer has been a client at Ed's firm. She also mentioned that the local park is riddled with gofer holes that could easily catch and break an ankle. It's a place Elizabeth might start taking Edward when he's older so it's again something to watch for," Nettie rolled her eyes a little. "Honestly, it's nothing that will need both of our attention."

I hoped she had more, "Did she have any information on Special Cases?"

"Not recently, but there was a string of 'unexplained disappearances' at the docks at the lake not long ago that were never solved, but she knew were the result of a Special Case. She said the vampire moved along quickly though and hasn't returned."

"Vampire?" I raised an eyebrow at the derogatory term.

"Yes, vampire." Nettie looked a bit abashed, "I know its slang, but it's the term the humans are now calling the Special Case. We'll be down here long enough that we'd better get used to the local vernacular."

"We'll have to keep an eye out should the visitor return."

"We should start scouting the area to see where the next visit will come from. Vampires need to feed so there will always be a 'next visit' in a town this large." Nettie looked eager to begin.

"I agree. I think it's a perfect job for you."

"Yes it would," Nettie smiled at me. "We are a good team."

"You have been preparing for this assignment for a long time and this topic is your research specialty. Besides, you know I love babies. They're so beautiful when they're small. We do make a good team."

Nettie jumped up, ran over and threw her arms around my neck, "I'm so glad we're working together!" She was so happy she was practically glowing. "The night is almost over, but I have an idea of where to begin once the sun rises."

I loved looking after the baby, and although learning more about Special Cases – well, vampires – was one of the most interesting parts of this assignment, for now I was content to let Nettie do most of the actual field research, but I couldn't wait to hear what information she would bring back.

Once Nettie started her quest to find a vampire to observe, the first she found wasn't the one who had been in Chicago, but wasn't far from home either. After a human came up missing near Gary, Indiana, Nettie found the vampire responsible for the death. He did not have a permanent guardian which meant she didn't really learn much about him, but after following him for a while, she could tell he was an old soul and was relatively stable but had the traditional diet. He was currently traveling alone. He fed in the area and then headed east.

It was a few months before she ran into anything interesting, but we started to settle into a routine. Nettie would go out regularly for field research while I watched Elizabeth and Edward. She would come back and tell me what she had learned and we would put our heads together and discuss what was meaningful and what wasn't.

While she was gone I had lots of time to ponder our mission.

Over the last millennia, vampires had created their own culture separate from the human society. They were pulling farther and farther away from their humanity, which was something that had to stop. The current vampire ruling family was somewhat of an improvement over the previous one, but we needed to push it to the next level. Eventually, a change in the ruling class had to occur if we were to reach the Ultimate Goal, but even I knew it would be a while before vampires were ready for a change of that magnitude.

Most vampires took it for granted that humans only existed to be their food source. Vampires had forgotten where they had come from and where their bodies originated. Vampires were still people and depended on humans, if not for food (as Carlisle was currently proving) than at least for the propagation of their kind.

In the long run the functioning of their bodies (what they ate, whether or not they slept), or the differences between human and vampire, was essentially meaningless. Although many vampires thought of themselves as above the "mere humans" in fact, beyond the obvious physical improvements, they were in fact almost equals. They were not immortal. Just like humans, only their souls were truly immortal. Just like humans their souls were what allowed them to learn, have emotions and sustain relationships. Just like humans, they would need to justify their actions at a life review.

They had lost their perspective on life and their purpose.

Vampires can and did die. Their extended life span, improved body and insistence on sustaining themselves on human blood had them thinking they were "above" humans, but they were simply not looking at the big picture. With the rare exception such as Carlisle, they had forgotten about their soul and in fact many of them believed they were the living dead and had no soul. This was complete rubbish and after their demise they were in the exact same position as every other person who had walked on the planet! In the end, it is what one does with his or her life that matters. We had to bring that perspective back to the vampires in order to reach the Ultimate Goal.

Control; it was what everyone on the planet needed to learn. Humans have to learn to control their bodies, their lusts and desires as do the vampires. Carlisle had been living solely on animal blood for over three centuries. This lifestyle gave him a different perspective on vampire life, which even he had more to learn about. But what came naturally to Carlisle obviously had to be taught to other vampires. He had to show others it was possible to gain this level of self-control.

This lifestyle would reap many benefits to the vampire who controlled his or her instincts. Benefits that even Carlisle would not recognize until he joined together with others like him. He had not yet found another willing to share his diet, but he would. Edward would be the first to join Carlisle. Edward was chosen for this job because of his intense potential for self-control and also his passion. Only when the self-control mastered the passion would he be able to open himself up to love and creativity and find Isabella again.

It would be a difficult lesson which many Special Cases would not be able to fully learn, but those who did would be so much stronger once they passed that they would be the only ones able to lead us to our Ultimate Goal. They were the lynch pins in the entire plan.

~oOo~

Despite the constant crying and fussing, Edward was growing rapidly. Eventually, Elizabeth only had to speak to Edward to settle him down. He loved to hear her voice.

Once the first year passed and the nurse's job was fulfilled, Elizabeth easily took over the daily tasks of caring for a young child. Edward persisted in his agitated ways, but Elizabeth soon learned in order to get the house work done while Edward was awake she could chat to him about everything going on in her life. During her down-time she loved to read, but it was difficult with a crying child begging for attention. She had started Pride and Prejudice, but was having a hard time finding time to finisht so she started reading aloud. To her joy, she discovered she could complete the book and simultaneously bring comfort to Edward. When she completed that book she started with children's classics by Hans Christian Anderson and Lewis Carroll. She even found a wonderful book called The Wizard of Oz. She loved to read poetry and would sometimes read verses from her favorites which included Tennyson and Poe.

One afternoon in July, when Edward was almost 14 months old she was reading from a volume by Poe:

"_O, lady bright! can it be right-  
This window open to the night?  
The wanton airs, from the tree-top,  
Laughingly through the lattice drop-  
The bodiless airs, a wizard rout,  
Flit through thy chamber in and out,  
And wave the curtain canopy  
So fitfully- so fearfully-"_

She was pondering the poem and didn't realize Edward was not paying any attention to her. He had slipped out of her lap and was completely absorbed with holding onto the edge of a chair across the room and shakily placing one foot in front of the other to take his first step. When he fell over and plopped on his bottom she jerked her head up and her mouth popped open.

"Edward... did you just take a step?" Edward looked at her with big eyes that were now more green than gray. She jumped up, picked him up and kissed his forehead. Then she sat on the floor and stood him on his feet trying unsuccessfully for the next quarter hour to get him to repeat his performance.

Just as she was getting frustrated, she got up and sat on the other side of the room to look at him. The separation was the motivation he needed and he finally tried again. This time she jumped up, but stayed where she was.

"Come here, Edward. Come to mommy!" She crooned to him. He took another step, fell on his behind with a big smile on his face, and promptly crawled as fast as he could over to her where she picked him up and smothered his face with kisses.

She laughed and sighed at him, "Oh, you silly boy."

~oOo~

As Edward got older his anxiety _did_ lessen in proportion with his ability to communicate and entertain himself. On the other hand, the more he learned, the more he wanted to learn. The questions he asked were specific and never ending, requiring a detailed explanation of the most exhausting type. Why is the sky blue? What is a rainbow? How can fish live underwater? Where is the North Pole? Who is Thomas Edison? Questions... endless questions!

By the time he was three they started making day trips to the library to study some of the subjects in depth. They ended up checking out books on all subjects to keep his curiosity satiated.

All of the reading and studying did have a payoff. When he was half way between his third and fourth birthday, he surprised Elizabeth one day by starting to read something back to her from a kindergarten primer he had picked up from the children's section.

Something else started to become evident to Nettie and me. One day during his third year Edward and Elizabeth were home alone. He was concentrating on piling wooden blocks into elaborate shapes while Elizabeth was absorbed with a particularly complex sewing project. She had been thinking about getting up to get a square of fabric that was sitting on the dining room table, but was so intent on her current task that she had not yet bothered to stand up to get it. Edward appeared at her side holding the fabric.

"Here it is mommy?" he asked innocently.

"Edward, how on earth did you know?" He shrugged and went back to playing with his blocks without commenting further. Elizabeth looked at him for a moment longer than necessary, but then shook her head and went back to her task.

I looked at Nettie who was looking onto the domestic scene with knit eyebrows. "Do you think it means anything?"

"I don't know. I think we'll have to keep an eye on that. Is this the first time they've had this type of interaction?" I replied while thinking back over the past couple of years.

"It's the first time I've noticed, but now that we have we'll have to start paying better attention. Maybe loneliness won't be his only issue."

"Hmmm," I nodded pensively. "Yes... this is definitely something to keep an eye on."

As I paid closer attention to Edward and Elizabeth's relationship I did notice they were exceptionally close and they seemed to communicate at some level without speaking aloud. From what we had seen in the past, a mother naturally has a kind of sixth sense about their child, but it was not normally reciprocated by the child.

Other than these subtle signs of an extra-close bond there was no extraordinary or unusual behavior until one afternoon in his fourth year when Elizabeth took Edward to the train station to pick up Ed who was returning from a business trip. At first she held Edward in her arms and pushed her way onto the platform to await the arrival of Ed's train. There was another train on a different platform still steaming from its trip, and dozens of people all in close proximity waited for the next train's arrival.

After a minute, Edward started squirming, pulled on his ear and fussed.

"What's wrong, Edward?"

"Mommy, it's too loud," he wailed.

Elizabeth noted the sounds of the trains and the chattering crowd. She sighed and put him down, leading him by the hand to the station lobby which was buffered from the platform by the building and was considerably less crowded. She sat in a chair and pulled a book from her purse. Edward took it and plopped onto the floor when a frantic man rushed by. Edward immediately stood up and watched him run by before jumping into his mother's arms and crying.

"Edward, dear, what's wrong?" she questioned with an anxious edge to her voice.

"Mommy, he's mean!" He hid his head in her shoulder.

She pulled him away from her shoulder and looked into his eyes, "What do you mean, who?"

He snuck a look over her shoulder and pointed at the man as he waited in line at the ticket counter. She turned to see at whom he was pointing. She watched as the agitated man approached the counter and talked to the ticketing agent in a brusque voice. The agent tried to quiet the man. This made the man even more agitated and he pulled out a knife.

I immediately pushed Elizabeth to the ground with Edward still clasped to her chest. From that position they could not see what was happening. I stood between her and the man while Nettie appeared at the man's side to calm him. I could see her whispering into his ear to bring a calming spirit into the moment and the fire in his eyes started to wane. She continued to whisper and a moment later the knife dropped. He turned and ran out of the station, right past Elizabeth and Edward. He was gone faster than he had appeared.

When he was gone Elizabeth rose and stared at the empty door frame and then back at Edward with her eye brows pulled together in concentration as if she was trying to piece together a puzzle whose solution eluded her.

Just then the station master called the arrival of the train on which Ed was scheduled to return. She shook her head a little as she put Edward down and picked up her things. She held onto his hand and walked to the platform.

I looked at Nettie in shock. "I think his insight goes beyond an extraordinary mother/son bond. Do you think he has some sort of special discernment?"

"He does indeed seem to have some sort of extra-awareness." Nettie pursed her lips in thought then raised her eyebrow at me. "If we're right, can you imagine how this will present itself after the change?"

I nodded in amazement. "If it's manifesting this early I can only imagine! This can be a very powerful gift and will only grow in strength after the change and he will probably be able to read so much more than mere intent." I thought about Isabella, "He will already be unconsciously searching for his soul mate, but with this gift, even if he doesn't know what he's doing, he will constantly be watching and reading every woman he comes across looking for what he's missing. People so often think things they would never admit, let alone act on... and if he spends years and years studying everyone's private thoughts, by the time Isabella is born who knows what he'll think of the human race!"

She looked to the distance with a faraway look in her eyes, "Maybe the soul exchange wasn't such a bad idea. If he's bored with humans he might be a real recluse. He might need something to catch his attention."

"We really need to start thinking ahead. Just the fact that their souls are already so intertwined – they will immediately be attracted to each other. He will crave the part of his soul that is in her. Since the main thing vampires desire is blood, it might enhance his bloodlust when they meet again.

"And if he senses her desire for him, it might prove too strong an attraction and their reunion could end very badly! We need to talk to Eavan about shaping a gift for Isabella. She will need a very powerful gift to prevent this possible tragic outcome." I started making a mental list of potential abilities that could keep Isabella safe.

"Well, at least we have plenty of time to prepare. At some point one of us should go back and start the process with Eavan and Isabella." Nettie mused.

"You're right. If we want to give her a specific gift we'll have to prepare her. We should wait until we know more about Edward, particularly after the change. There might be other things we can create in her that will help."

"You're right. I think she should be immune to his discernment but having a silent mind might not be the only helpful thing we can give her. In addition, if she's going to fall in love with a vampire, she'll probably need to ignore her natural sense of self-preservation"

My list was lengthening quite rapidly.

This boy would _not_ be able to resist Isabella if I had anything to say about it, but we would have to work long and hard on his self-control, as controlling his bloodlust for an attraction that strong would be of upmost importance.


	4. 3-Naïveté

**Na_ï_v_e_t_é_**

_na·iv·e·te (nī-ēv'ə-tā): Lacking worldly experience and understanding; simple and guileless._

_"[Carlisle] thinks that [while I was human] I must have already been very sensitive to the thoughts of those around me." Edward, Twilight_

_**1906**_

Later that year Edward was scheduled to start kindergarten. Although the instances when Edward exhibited his sixth sense didn't seem to come often, we attributed it to the fact he was mostly sheltered from dealing with groups of people on a daily basis. School was going to be a very different experience and I worried about him being in constant contact with so many people. However, we were excited to see if being around other people would help satisfy his emptiness.

And so he started private kindergarten in the September following his 5th birthday. His schooling started well. School work wasn't usually a problem and he interacted well socially with the other students. Then after he had been in the classroom for about a month I saw him jump up during free play time and run to the corner with his face to the wall, pulling his ears with his eyes screwed shut. The teacher spent some time coaxing him back to the class while I whispered soothing words in his ear. This repeated two or three times until about half way through the school year his teacher reported the strange behavior to Elizabeth.

"Now Elizabeth," the teacher tried to soothe her, "this has only happened a few times so far this year, but it is unusual enough that I thought I'd bring it up. Here in kindergarten we're able to deal with it easily, but if this continues as he gets older, it could be a concern."

Elizabeth's forehead puckered as she considered the nebulous puzzle she wasn't sure she could even name, "Have you noticed that he plays with his ears when this happens?"

The teacher looked a little surprised, "Well, I'm not sure if I've noticed that, but strangely enough, when it happened today he did mention that it was too loud even though we were sitting quietly and reading a story."

Elizabeth looked worriedly out the window at Edward as he ran in circles with some of the other children in the schoolyard. "Thank you for mentioning this to me. I'll see if I can work on that with him."

~oOo~

That afternoon Elizabeth talked to Edward about what was happening, but he was so young he wasn't able to communicate to her why he was so unsettled at times during school. She told him that he needed to listen to his teachers and not leave if they were having an activity. She also told him he was not to sit in the corner unless told to do so.

"Edward, you do not want people to think you're a bad boy, do you?" she asked with him.

He looked at her with soulful, innocent eyes that looked like they might tear up, "No, of course not, mommy."

"Then please, no more corner, okay? That's where the bad boys sit." She embraced him and kissed him on the forehead.

"Okay mommy," he reached around her neck, kissed her cheek, and looked into her eyes through his long lashes. "Can I get down now?"

Elizabeth laughed, "Of course, dear."

As soon as she put him down he ran across the room to his recorder and started blowing into it to create the notes Elizabeth had taught him for the alphabet song.

"Mommy, can you teach me a new song?"

"Would you like to learn about a cow that jumped over the moon?" She walked over to the music stand and picked up her own recorder and started a lesson.

~oOo~

He finished kindergarten and most of his first grade year without incident. He still occasionally isolated himself from the class, but I tried to distract the teacher while Nettie soothed him into joining the rest of the class.

From time to time he had a hard time completing school work as he would sometimes stop and stare at someone sitting near him as if he were listening to something. More than once Edward's first grade teacher caught him unaware and unable to answer her questions.

Elizabeth worked extra hard with him at home, going over the work from the day and making sure he didn't get behind. Even though he seemed distracted in class, his mother, as well as his insatiable curiosity insured that his knowledge was far beyond most of the other kids in his class.

Unexpectedly, towards the end of the school year Edward found a new way to help quell his loneliness.

"Mommy, would you read a book to Ibby?" he called as he pulled out his favorite storybook from the shelf.

She came into the room and looked around the room as he sat on the living room sofa, "Edward, who is Ibby?"

"Ibby is my new friend. She wants to read with me." He was opening the book looking for the beginning of the story.

"Is this a new friend from school who is coming over to play?" She was clearly confused.

"No, mommy, she is right here." Edward pointed to the empty spot next to himself.

Elizabeth blinked. Once. Twice. Thrice.

Nettie looked at me, "There's no one there, right?"

I looked around the room one last time, just in case. "No, I don't see anyone."

"Edward," Elizabeth continued, "I don't see anyone there with you."

Edward looked up at her and smiled, "She's right here, mommy. She has brown hair and pretty brown eyes. Can't you see her?"

Nettie gasped noticeably. "I think he's unconsciously missing Isabella so much he's pretending she's here with him!"

"No, darling, I don't see her," Elizabeth squinted at him, pondering this strange new development.

Nettie looked over at me, clearly mentally scrambling for a solution. "We can pass this off as Edward having an imaginary friend. You know the neighbor, Martha, has a daughter named Margaret who is studying psychology and has an interest in this phenomenon. Maybe we can have her talk to Elizabeth to let her know that having an imaginary friend is normal.

"That's a good idea. For now let's just soothe Elizabeth so she's not bothered by this little incident."

I found myself whispering in Elizabeth's ear that Edward's wonderfully active imagination was at play and that it was nothing to worry about. She smiled at Edward and sat down to read.

~oOo~

Ibby came back to "visit" on occasion for the next couple of years. After Elizabeth met with Margaret she indulged him and accepted his new friend. But after a while, Edward stopped telling his mom about her "visits" and he usually only talked to her when he was alone in his room. Ed was teaching little Edward to play chess and sometimes Edward played chess with Ibby, but usually he talked to her while reading books.

One evening before bed while Edward was in third grade, Nettie had gone out to check up on Carlisle's progress. Edward was lying on his bed reading his favorite book, Peter Pan. He didn't look towards an empty spot any more when talking to Ibby; he just spoke to her like he was sure she was listening to him.

"If I was Peter Pan and you were Wendy, I'd want to bring you to Neverland too."

~oOo~

Edward's music lessons turned from the recorder to the piano when he was six. Elizabeth was a natural teacher and he picked it up easily and enjoyed practicing.

Between Edward and Elizabeth music seemed to be constantly coming from their piano. It didn't take long before he outstripped Elizabeth's abilities and they looked elsewhere for a teacher.

When he was eight he started piano lessons from a neighbor named Daniel who played part time with the newly named Theodore Thomas Orchestra, previously the Chicago Orchestra. It was Edward's first formal lessons outside of the home and Daniel was amazed at how far Edward had come at such an early age.

~oOo~

As Edward aged, Ibby visited with less frequency, and by the time he was in fourth grade we thought his imaginary friend was forgotten as children have naught to do, but that year his loneliness manifested itself in a different way.

"Mother, I want a sister."

Elizabeth flushed. She and Ed had discussed this at length. She ached for a child, but try as they may, it was not happening. "Well, Edward. That would be nice, wouldn't it?" She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes as she looked down at her sewing project.

"Yes. I'm lonely. I need a sister to play with." He stated simply.

"But I thought we had lots of fun together, son?" Her eyes appeared a little misty.

"Yes, but I think I have a sister who wants to come and play with me," he persisted as he continued his activity.

At that, Nettie, who had been sitting on the windowsill looking at the neighborhood, stood up and looked at me with her mouth slightly open.

"Well, Edward. Nothing would please me more than for you to have a sister, but for now I think we just need to be happy together." She walked over to him and kissed him on top of the head.

"But mother, she is so pretty. She has dark hair like father and I really want her to come so she can play games with me."

I blinked and looked at Nettie.

"The longing is intense for someone so young. Edward's stubbornness in completing the soul exchange will be his downfall!" Nettie stammered.

"Well, we knew it would make this more difficult, but it doesn't yet seem unmanageable. It's possible that this is simply a childhood manifistation that will be lost over the years, but it's a telling part of his personality and how in touch he is with himself that he's already able to name his feelings."

~oOo~

Even at a young age, his ability to control his extra-insight was impressive. His first childhood tendency to run when he was overwhelmed softened to ticks he was simply unaware of. Occasionally at school I would notice him giving particularly pointed glances at someone while he subconsciously pulled on his own ears, ran his hand through his hair or pinched the bridge of his nose, but he didn't jump up and run away like he did that first year in school.

For good or for ill, other ways his gift manifested itself included a knack at picking out those he thought would suit his current interests.

While at home Edward was very attentive to Elizabeth and seemed to always start tasks that Elizabeth wanted before she had even asked. Sometimes he got the vegetables out for dinner or got his laundry together in the morning before he left for school. She didn't recognize this for what it was, but it made them grow even closer.

During Edward's fifth grade year a situation slowly arose at church that put Nettie and I on edge. Father Cole had been at the new parish near the Masen's home for a couple of years and the church goers had become comfortable with his liturgies.

About a year after their new church building was completed the hellfire and damnation aspect of his services started to lean more and more towards the extreme. He preached of demons sent by the devil to tempt those who were weak. The punishment for being beguiled with their charms would be eternity in Hell. He preached of the body being defiled and unworthy of salvation. He preached of soulless demons who would never reach heaven.

One Sunday afternoon about seven months after the radical change in the priest, the sermon was particularly daunting, and Edward broached the subject on the ride home.

"Father, how do you think a soulless demon picks a person to condemn to Hell?"

Ed sighed and glanced over at Edward who was staring back at him as if he had been pondering the subject for some time. "Well, son, I think that a demon like that can see the blackness inside someone's soul and preys upon their weakness."

"But why do you think they want to take people with them?"

"Probably because they're lonely. They are evil, cold, and think only of themselves."

Edward turned and looked at the houses they were passing. "So Lizzie, what are we having for dinner this evening?" Ed seemed happy to close the subject but it was obvious to me that Edward was far from finished pondering this subject.

As they chatted, I decided it was time to look into the meaning behind the change in the pastor. It was obviously starting to have an effect on Edward and we did not need these disturbing thoughts permanently sealed in his head for him to ruminate on until Isabella came around. It would only make it harder for him to accept the future change.

"Nettie, I think something has happened to Fr. Cole. It might be significant and it seems to be affecting Edward."

"I was thinking the same thing. Perhaps Fr. Cole has had a brush with something he deems as a sign from the devil?"

That day Nettie's research took a slight detour. She started hanging around the rectory for clues. She reported that often late at night Fr. Cole would pull out a box from under his bed and read and re-read a small bundle of letters. From their content, it appeared he had a bit of a tryst going on with a sister at a nearby convent. The sister had disappeared not long before the aberrant preaching started. The convent sisters reported that she had met a strange man one night when she was attending to the poor. The man came to the convent asking for her and the next morning she was just gone. She had left a note indicating that she could no longer live the life of a nun and never returned.

At first Nettie couldn't figure out how this translated into preaching about demon spirits. Until one night she spotted a newborn female vampire creeping around the rectory with her mate.

"I don't know why you keep coming back here. Your old life is over." The mate whispered with vampiric speed.

"We were in love and he is in such pain. I think he's finally getting over it, but I can't stand to think of him suffering because of me."

"You really shouldn't be seen around here. The last time he saw us both! I don't want to have to physically drag you away again."

"I know, but I just want to see him one more time before I move on."

Her red eyes glinted in the soft light reflected from the windows as she slipped closer to the pane of glass looking into Fr. Cole's office.

Just then Fr. Cole looked up and saw her in the window. He gasped and stood up so quickly he knocked over the chair he had been sitting in. He ran for the door, but by the time he got there the vampires were long gone.

"So I can only guess Cole saw them and has made his own assumptions about her appearance and new companion. I believe he thinks God had punished her for her sins and he is trying to denounce his behavior and save his soul," Nettie reported back to me that night.

"I suppose. I hope he gets over it enough to stop filling Edward's head full of those stories. He is at a very impressionable age."

"Maybe we can get Fr. Cole to tone down his preaching a bit."

Unfortunately, even though we continued to try to soften Fr. Cole's heart, there was little change to his services. Nettie and I decided we would have to do damage control later after we determined if there were any long term repercussions.

~oOo~

Not long after, Nettie came rushing back after an evening of field research.

"Carlisle met his mate!" She clapped her hands together in excitement.

"What? Isn't it a bit early?" We had an idea of what the timeline was to be and Carlisle was supposed to be alone when he met up with Edward.

"Well, yes. She is still a human, and a human teenager at that but their paths have crossed. I saw him set her leg after she broke it from falling out of a tree."

"Did he recognize her at all?"

"Not consciously. He is very good at hiding his emotions, but his aura started vibrating and he had that look about him that meant there was more going on inside of his head than he was letting on."

"So tell me about her." I hadn't had time to meet Edward's future family before we left for our assignment, but I knew that Nettie had more experience with them as she was doing the field research.

"She has a beautiful soul. She is warm and caring. Edward is so close to Elizabeth, it will be hard for him to lose her, but Esme will make an excellent surrogate mother for Edward. "

~oOo~

There were several boys in the neighborhood that Edward would play with after school. They would play ball at the corner lot or play cowboys and Indians. They were often out until dark.

Edward was a natural but subtle leader and all of his friends loved him. His discernment made him particularly choosey when it came to the boys he let into his little group, but as he got closer to puberty he began to get more curious about people and how he was able to read them. He started experimenting. We were a bit shocked when at the age of 12 he had brought a new boy into their group who seemed like he might turn into a little hoodlum.

"Come on, Edward. You know you want that magazine they have at Abbott's and that old man won't sell it to us."

"I don't know, Tom. It just doesn't feel right." Edward was hedging, but his curiosity was getting the better of him.

"All you have to do is be the lookout," Tom continued. "Harry and I will do all of the dirty work." They subtly pushed him across the street towards the store.

Nettie was back at home as it was my turn to keep watch over Edward. I came up close to him and whispered to him not to do it. He paused, but after a moment he got a rebellious glint in his eye and agreed, "Okay. I'll do it." It was the first time he willfully disobeyed and, although I worried about the consequences, I was curious to see how far he would go.

They entered the store together, but Edward walked towards the owner and started asking him about the penny candy as Tom and Harry took a meandering course towards the magazines.

The store owner tried to keep a watchful eye on them, but Edward was persistent at changing his train of thought, "Now Mr. Smith, what is this one? I don't remember seeing it the last time I was here."

"Well, son, I'm sure you'll love this new sticky marshmallow candy. It's new from New York." He said as he looked over Edward's shoulder.

Edward also looked over his shoulder. As he pulled out coins from his pocket to buy three candies he turned and looked into Mr. Smith's eyes and smiled brightly as he handed the coins over and continued the conversation. I was starting to know that look. He was getting good at intentionally charming people. Mr. Smith smiled back with a soft look in his eyes.

Mr. Smith only broke eye contact when the boys came to join them, "Did you find anything else, boys?" Mr. Smith inquired.

"No sir," Tom answered innocently.

They all took their candy and walked out the door.

The boys were able to contain themselves until they got around the corner where they erupted into giggles that would make even small girls blush. Then they broke into a run and went straight for the tree house in Harry's yard. They scurried up the ladder and huddled around the erotic magazine.

By that time I had had enough. I went into the house to find Harry's mother. She was tending to dinner, but I encouraged her to go check on the boys and break them up.

"Harry, come down right now and help me with dinner!" she insisted.

"Ah, mom... do I have to?" He lamented.

"Yes you do and I suspect your friends will need to be going home soon for dinner as well, so come along."

The boys hid the magazine in a box and exited the way they had entered.

"See you guys tomorrow at school," Harry waved as they boys left the yard and he headed towards the house where his mother had the door open waiting for him.

I then went to Elizabeth and had her come to the front door, "Edward!" she yelled from the front porch.

"Ah, man! I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow." Tom punched Edward in the arm as he started to cross the street towards his house. "That was fun, we'll have to try that again."

Edward grinned, but it didn't reach his eyes, "Yeah, we'll see."

~oOo~

When Edward slept, the puzzle of how Isabella had to be formed to survive meeting Edward constantly filled my mind. Now that we were watching for it, Edward's discernment was obvious. It would turn into a very powerful vampiric gift and we had to give something even more powerful to Isabella to block it.

A gift such as Edward's was purely a mental gift. It did not influence anything physical so all we needed to do was to have her block mental gifts.

After Nettie consulted with some experts on the subject, we had ruled out trying to give her a gift that would block only his gift. Its implementation could be hit and miss and since we wanted this to be fool-proof, we decided to broaden her gift. We settled on a mental shield. What we had planned was more powerful than any other gift anyone had seen, but we were reaching in an attempt to ensure our goal would be met as too much was at stake.

We also discussed our idea of having her ignore her natural sense of self-preservation. It would probably make her seem a bit clumsy because she wouldn't pay attention to natural warning signs that others took seriously. Nettie brought up a good point that it could work to our advantage – the clumsiness might bring out Edward's protective nature, thus drawing him closer to Isabella like a moth to a flame.

Nettie left to visit Isabella and Eavan to start the process of giving Isabella a mental shield. While she was gone I followed Edward everywhere. He was progressing nicely in school and was soon to enter his teen years ahead of his peers in his studies. He had resisted pulling off any stunts that rivaled the magazine incident.

Nettie reported back to me that Eavan and Isabella were anxiously preparing her gift and by the time Nettie had left, the procedure had begun smoothly. The lack of self-preservation shouldn't be as difficult to pull off and they had decided to wait until the shield was in place before starting anything else.

~oOo~

Nettie continued her field trips and finally found another piece of the puzzle. She shared the visit with her perfect recall: She found them north of Milwaukee in a little town surrounded by wilderness called New Prospect. A very special guardian was with a vampire who had taken up residence in an abandoned farm house turned hunting lodge. The guardian had been able to get the vampire to stay there for 10 years. He avoided attention from the neighbors by never burning a fire or lighting the house at night and by making sure he traveled far to feed.

The guardian had gotten the vampire to settle down, but unfortunately he still didn't long for companionship and his diet remained the same.

Nettie approached the guardian one afternoon as the sun was starting to fall towards the horizon. She bowed her head as she approached. "Elias, I am so glad I found you. I had heard you were near and I'm hoping I can learn from you as I believe your experience can help me in my current assignment. My name is Nettie."

"Nettie, it is so nice to meet you. I trust it wasn't too hard to find me?" he greeted pleasantly.

"Not at all, we have only recently arrived with our assignment who is still a child. My companion is on watch while I'm away which frees me for further study."

"Well, you do have your hands full with that assignment and I'm sure a partner is helpful. You're hoping to learn how I tame vampires." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes, I am surprised you're so knowledgeable about my assignment. I'm honored."

"Well, I do like to keep track of the goings on in my field."

"But of course. Before I arrived I studied your work extensively. I am especially interested in your approach in refining Special Cases. There might come a time when our charge's vampiric need will overcome his sensibilities."

"Might, indeed. I have seen his soul on the other side while I studied those destined to be Special Cases. It is very willful. You will most definitely need to direct his behavior at some point." He nodded knowingly.

Nettie continued, "Your psychological assessments of the needs of humans and your comparison of those needs before and after the change are most insightful. Your techniques using those basic needs to motivate the... um... taming..." she stuttered over the word as it was not used often in this manner, "seem like they would be very helpful."

He immediately started into a discussion of his research, "But of course. There are five levels of needs everyone desires to satiate. You must find the motivation behind these needs to help them progress through them appropriately. Once one reaches the final step they find internal peace.

"In a _basic_ human their first instinct is to satisfy their physical needs such as food, water and sleep. Once physiological needs are met, the second instinct is to secure safety and order in their world... safety of person, income and the like. If a person's belly is full and they are safe they yearn for the third instinct which is love and intimacy and finding a connection with others. After they've found that internal connection, they seek the fourth instinct, which is a greater connection with society which finally brings achievement, greater confidence and a rise in self-esteem. Although sometimes the middle steps can be attained out of order, only after those first four needs are met can one move to step five and seek their full potential

"It seems that getting beyond step three is a stopping point for most humans but is especially troublesome after the change." Nettie mused.

"Yes, very troublesome. It's hard to move past one's self and seek a connection to others when you think you're required to eat those 'others' in order to fulfill the second instinct. It's a contradiction most vampires can't reconcile. Also, vampires have withdrawn from society at large so not only are they wrapped up in themselves, their solitary lifestyle makes it easy to ignore their peers. Moving beyond one's self is difficult enough for a basic human without the expansion of the mind which occurs during the transformation."

"So, it's hard to reach the edge of the pool when the pool is so large?" Nettie inquired

"Indeed. Also, societal growth happens in a kind of spiral – the more individuals that move into step four; the more society grows as a whole and the easier it will become for other individuals to move into step four. Of course it can also turn into a downward spiral."

Nettie's eyes grew wider, "I've been so busy studying the individual vampire I hadn't put it together with society's journey. I think I'm now beginning to see the beginning to the Ultimate Goal."

Elias smiled, "Yes, the Ultimate Goal... when everyone will reach step five and fully actualize. Each person, including us, has their own path culminating in love and creativity. In the end each will complement each other like a perfect symphony."

Nettie nodded as she pondered the topic, "Fully actualize... I've always liked that term. To fully actualize each individual's potential. To do things not simply for the outcome but because it's the reason you exist."

Elias nodded at her understanding.

"But why are vampires the key to all of this? If everyone has to make the journey, isn't one person just as key as the next?"

Elias had obviously thought long and hard on this topic, "In a way, yes, but vampires are far more powerful and influential than a standard human. They were created to lead the way and they will lead us either to our success or to our failure."

"So back to the journey. How do the steps change after the transformation? Their needs seem to drastically change after the transformation."

"At first glance their needs might refocus, but in reality, the basics are still the same. They still need nourishment and safety. Their need for a connection to others seems to reduce, but the need is still buried in there. If they find a mate, you've seen how strong that bond can be, but breaking through the third and onto the fourth to extend outside themselves can be the hardest part. Having the strength to stop eating humans and eat solely from animals is a huge boost towards that next step. Of course convincing a vampire to eat an animal is next to impossible."

"Earlier you mentioned the expansion of their mind. How does that affect them?"

"Once transformed they get a taste of immortality, but their souls are still attached to their body in this life just like a standard human. Their mind expands, but their soul doesn't. Everything about their body is magnified, including their ego. In their enlarged minds, everything revolves around themselves. They have a difficult time thinking past themselves to find that connection to society so they can gain even greater insight into the meaning and purpose of existence.

"Of course because they have withdrawn from society at large and they lack a true vampire society, very few have had the opportunity to push through that level and beyond to finding their own potential." His eyes narrowed a bit. "I've been working on this for millennia and we're finally to the point where I will start to need guardians like you to move this forward."

Nettie glowed, "I've been studying for years, but this is my first assignment. I am going to pick up where you left off with Carlisle."

"Ah, yes... Carlisle. His strong morality in his first phase of life made the interesting conundrum of nourishment a big challenge. He was already looking for an alternative to accepting what he was at face value so once he was weakened by hunger it was relatively easy to point him in the right direction and get him onto the proper diet. Getting him to Italy helped him find a sense of security as well as gaining much needed friendships. His drive to learn helped him to find achievement. For him, the Volturi gave him a glimpse in to the possibility of what step four might be like, but their lack of morality made him avoid finding intimacy within their ranks and drove him to leave and seek an alternative." He smiled in fond remembrance.

"Have you used the starvation technique on any others?" Nettie inquired.

"I haven't yet found one with the ability to abstain long enough to make an animal look palatable."

Nettie nodded, "Yes, I can understand that. But now Carlisle is struggling again with love. He has not been able to find anyone who shares his life view and so far he has been unwilling to change anyone, but we are preparing a temptation he will not be able to resist. He will want to change our charge to be his first son. After finding that first bond it will be easier for him to form another and another and then form a full family." Nettie glowed from within when talking of our task.

"And this son... once he breaks past the second barrier and fully embraces step three, once bonded with his powerful mate, his movement through step four and five will bring about big changes." he whispered reverently.

"Yes, he is to be the one that guides Carlisle to his destiny as the leader of the next royal family." Nettie stated simply.

"Well, we have much to discuss then."

Elias' vampire started preparing to depart for the evening.

"I hope you'll visit again soon so we can continue this discussion."

"Oh yes, you will get very tired of me!" Nettie smiled shyly at the guardian whom she had grown to love through his research.

He laughed, "Highly doubtful. I'll see you again soon then?"

"Yes, and thank you." She bowed as she backed away and rushed home to report back to me.

~oOo~

**AN – I had a fun time researching this story. Margaret was a real person I read about in an article called "A Brief History of Imaginary Friends" on thefastertimes dot com.**

**I hope this didn't get too "metta" for you. When I was writing it just flowed from the pen!**

**One last thing… this is the last chapter I have fully written. I will admit my outline is outlandishly ostentatious and over the past few years I've decided that I'd love to finish, but right now I'll be content to make it through Edward's change. The next planned chapter is his teen years, which is giving me quite the challenge, and the one after that would be the change. I can't promise any kind of time line to finish the next two chapters as I've been sitting on them for the last couple of years, but I'm still really fond of the idea of this story and wanted to put it out there for others to enjoy.**

**Thanks for reading!**


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